Downie sticks with Kangaroo Flat

HE’S disappointed his side didn’t make the Bendigo Football League finals, but reappointed Kangaroo Flat coach Tyrone Downie looks back on 2012 as a step in the right direction for the Roos.

Tipped by many at the start of the season to be one of the strugglers, the Roos finished in seventh position with seven wins – two more than last year.

“I think we’ve made progress as a group, and we’ve shown we can play some really good footy, which is a good sign,” Downie said this week.

“But there’s still plenty of improvement left in the group. Our aim is to get each individual fitter and stronger and then get the group nice and tight and, hopefully, we can move forward.”

While he has full confidence in the group of players the Roos have, Downie is like most other coaches in looking to bolster each area of the ground with another midfielder, key forward and key defender to help take the side to the next level in 2013.

“I don’t think where we were that far away this year… just lapses in quarters here and there let us down,” Downie said.

“The key is to maintain the group and we think we could push for the finals next year, but obviously, we’ll look to add a couple of key players to what we’ve got.

“Probably a key defender would help us to finish our back six off; another forward wouldn’t hurt to help myself and Tyson Mihocek out; and another midfielder to add into our rotations is what we’d go after as well.”

As well as Downie’s reappointment for a second season as coach next year, Kangaroo Flat – which last played finals in 2009 when it made the preliminary final – has also announced Jason Stevens is rejoining the club in assistant and development coaching role.

Stevens has spent the past two seasons as the senior coach of Heathcote District Football League club White Hills, while he is a former coach of the Kangaroo Flat under-18s.